Main food compartment not cooling

Hi,

Many times a freezer and/or refrigeratordo not work right because of a dirty condenser coil...there are also many otherthings that can go wrong. If you are hearing a clicking or buzzing thencheck out the last two tips.

If your refrigerator is running but warm, then...

Check out these tips that I wrote about that... it is a great place to starttrouble shooting your unit...and something that you can do rather then callinga repair person to do a simple thing for you...

Refrigerator Condenser Coil Cleaning Refrigerator Repair

Refrigerator Troubleshooting Refrigerator Compressor

Refrigerator Compressor Start Capacitor and Start Relay
Refrigerator or Freezer not Cooling or Getting Cold

heatman101

First of all, before you do anything, clean the coils under the refrigerator. I couldn't tell you how many refrigerators I've 'fixed' that needed nothing more than the coils cleaned. Dirty coils can cause a multitude of problems, many of them with the exact same symptoms that would be expected when refrigerant components fail. Dirt is the #1 enemy of any refrigeration unit.

If that doesn't help, since both sides of the refrigerator get warm before the compressor kicks back on, I'd suspect the fresh food temperature control thermostat. Not an easy fix for the average homeowner unless you've got specific skills in appliance repair.

Before you do anything, try this. Turn the fresh food thermostat all the way up, the set the freezer setting at a higher than normal setting. The way the system works is that the fresh food thermometer turns the compressor on and off and the freezer control simply controls how much of the cold air from the freezer is diverted to the fresh food compartment.

If you turn the fresh food thermostat higher, the compressor will run longer and adjusting the freezer control to a higher setting will allow less cold air into the fresh food compartment, forcing the compressor to run longer in order to cool it to the thermostat setting.

If the settings have to be abnormally high, this is a workaround, rather than a fix. To get a permanent fix, you'll probably have to replace the fresh food control thermostat.

I hope this was helpful to you or to anyone reading it.

it may be a bad timer(timer can be anywhere,inside or out by compressor or behind toe kick it has 5-6 wires and a 1/4 inch hole with a flat screw head in it. use flat screw driver,turn it until it clicks...it will turn one way only...that should put in defrost and in 30 minutes or less the timer should turn compressor back on if not replace timer...when it is in defrost se if element works if not ...check element with meter...also termination switch...open above 32degreeFclose under 32

The fresh food compartment is cooled by air being blown from the freezer compartment into the fresh food compartment. Something is restricting that air flow which causes your fresh food compartment to stay warm.

There is a panel, or door if you will, that separates the freezer and fresh food compartments. The freezer temp control determines how much cold air is allowed to escape into the fresh food compartment by opening or closing this panel.

If the panel is restricted from moving (stuck closed, for example), the freezer will get VERY cold while the fresh food compartment will be warm.

Try thoroughly defrosting the refrigerator. Possibly an accumulation of ice is preventing the panel from moving and/or is restricting air flow from the freezer to the fresh food compartment. It's a free fix and may solve your problem altogether.

If that doesn't help, or helps only temporarily, you may have a problem with panel itself or the linkage that connects it to the control mechanism. Unless you're skilled in appliance repair, checking and repairing these components will require the help of a service technician

Hope this was helpful. Good Luck.

The fresh food compartment is cooled by air being blown from the freezer compartment into the fresh food compartment.

There is a panel, or door if you will, that separates the freezer and fresh food compartments. The freezer temp control determines how much cold air is allowed to escape into the fresh food compartment by opening or closing this panel.

In your case, the door must be stuck all the way open, allowing all the cold air to be diverted into the fresh food compartment. The compressor cycle is controlled by the thermostat in the fresh food compartment and thus 'short cycles' because the fresh food compartment acheives normal temperature while the freezer is relativel warm.

If the panel is restricted from moving (stuck in the extreme open position, for example), the fresh food compartment will get VERY cold while the freezer will be warm.

Try thoroughly defrosting the refrigerator. Possibly an accumulation of ice is preventing the panel from moving and/or is diverting all the cold air from the freezer into the fresh food compartment. It's a free fix and may solve your problem altogether.

If that doesn't help, or helps only temporarily, you may have a problem with panel/door/flap itself or the linkage that connects it to the control mechanism. Unless you're skilled in appliance repair, checking and repairing these components will require the help of a service technician

Hope this was helpful. Good Luck.

When the compressor is running, if the fan by the compressor and the fan inside the freezer are both running, and there is no frost on the back wall of the freezer (if there was frost would indicate a defrost issue) then check the air dampener. It is located at the very top left back side of the fresh food section. If it is not opening up, no air will flow from the freezer compartment (where all the cooling takes place) into the refrigerator section.

Since your unit will have only one compressor, the cooled air must be circulated via a fan that distributes the air between the two compartments and this has probably died. This allows the cooled air to simply fall downward. When you can hear the compressor running, hold your fingers in front of the vents in the refrigerator compartment to see if you can feel any air stream.

You could also try defrosting the unit completely.

you need to replace the fan motor as it blows the cold air to the reefer section and that's why its not cooling the freezers cool both side in all units here's a diag and parts list http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/retrieveModelActionHome!retrieve.action;jsessionid=1TlpO2RMjv7jqHUYRtODnQ**.shcapp3005?modelNumber=596.69272991&pop=flush

Pierce, there was a service bullitin put out on this model. TDR-0010A-B. Had to do with normal freezer, warm fresh food compartment. Maytag issued a kit that included a new thermostat and damper assy. to solve this problem. Bullitin came out in 2002. If you are not having a defrost issue and all fans are running normal, I would call Maytag and inquire about the above posted bullitin, It may be covered. Catriver...post back.